Victor Valley school bond interviews hit the Web

VICTORVILLE • The ballot on Nov. 4 will have four local school bonds, a daunting issue in the current economic state of the Victor Valley.

Measure X, the $20 million Helendale School bond, will acquire property for the Helendale Charter High School and upgrade security systems.

"We want to make sure that the best situation is in place for the safety of our students," said Superintendent Brian Dietz during his Rapid Fire interview.

Despite a Victor Valley College bond narrowly losing in 2006, a new college bond is being proposed. Measure JJ, for almost $300 million, would establish a workforce training center for a number of different careers and acquiring sites for future buildings.

"The growth is here," said College President Robert Silverman. "We're growing at 15 percent and it's not going to change."

Also on the ballot is the $150 million Victor Elementary School District Bond which would upgrade current facilities and build schools to relieve overcrowding, said Jan Gonzales, assistant superintendent of administrative services.

When asked why those without children would vote for the Measure E, she said, "When you bring up kids that are well educated, that's a boost to the local economy, because they're able to go out and get the jobs that support the local area."

Measure V, the $500 million Victor Valley Union High School District Bond, will make existing schools safer by updating security and alarm systems and provide for the building of new schools.

Superintendent Julian Weaver said there are already plans to build Adelanto High School and an additional high School and two middle schools are projected to be built projected out to 2016.

Go to www.VVDailyPress.com to learn more about the proposed bonds and what they mean for students and the community.

Watch bond proponents answer hardball questions in their "Rapid Fire" video interviews at www.VVDailyPress.com. Simply click on "Election '08" located on the blue navigation bar, then click on Rapid Fire, scroll through and click on the measure you want to learn about.